Introductions & Welcome Thread 👋

[TaxmanHog]

As you can see I'm on a slippery slope here to indulgence...
I'll let you all know what I get, if I take the plunge shortly!

Welcome to the forum!

Comprehensive analysis, but the 'car-guy' emotion often overpowers the logical & prudent decisions, if you haven't driven a Lightning yet, when you do you'll be head over heels sliding down that slope!

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[ChesterCounty]

Thanks for the add. New 2025 XLT w Power Pro. Looking forward to learning and sharing. Not my first or 5th EV but certainly the first "truck" and very happy far (Day 4 in )

 

[Shark150]

Hello everyone. Finally got around to joining. Had my 24 Flash since February. Everyday since I said I’m going to join today, finally sat down and did it ?.

 

[Indra]

Hello All,

Two weeks in with our 2025 Lightning - glad to have found this forum!

 

[nerdondo]

Hi all:

Just joined this forum a week ago, even though I don't own a Lighting quite yet. Here's my story:

1. I drive a 2022 Honda Ridgeline RTL, only 34 months old w/ only 25K miles on it. I love my current truck & it's still like new. But I'm seriously considering swapping it now for a Lightning...and this Forum is very helpful in educating myself all about the Lightening, from actual owners. I'm leaning heavily towards making the change, and I discuss my thought process why below. I'd love any feedback anyone can provide re: my thinking on this!

BTW, I currently get ~ 26 mpg highway, 19.5 mpg city, and ~ 22 mpg overal in my Honda, which isn't terrible for an ICE truck, and it happily accepts regular pump gas...which only currently averages ~ $3.15 a gallon currently where I live (Provo, UT). Based on my avg mix of city/ hwy driving, my current fuel cost runs slightly under $0.15/ mile. Also, I only drive ~ 11K miles a year since I recently retired, and electricity here is very reasonable, only ~ $0.13/ kWH.

2. I built a custom spreadsheet to compare the cost of driving my (still fairly newer) Ridgeline for the next 5 years vs replacing it now w/ a new or low mileage Lighting, & quickly realized I could not justify - well, RATIONALIZE making the change (OK, I'm a car guy and a big part of me just WANTS one!) based on the math alone. Under any reasonable assumptions, and If I limit myself to a F150L that cost $65K or less (this figure is B4 sales taxes & DMV regis fees, & also B4 the $7,500 EV Tax Credit, but after all currently available Ford promos like "employee pricing" & "retail cash", which are currently worth ~ $7K combined as of May 2025 ), here is the Net-Net conclusion of my spreadsheet. It will still cost me ~ $7,500 MORE over the next 5 years to drive a new F150L, vs just keeping my Ridgeline.

After a bit of online shopping the past week, with a budget of ~ $65K (as defined above) I believe can either get:
- a new 2025 Flash w/ the Pro Power Onboard 9.6KW option, a must-have feature for me;
- a used 2024 Lariat w/ well < 10K miles, & the ProPower option; or
- a used 2023 Platinum w/ < 25K miles, & the Pro Power

My "ideal" scenario would is actually none of the 3 above: it would be to find a 2024 Flash w/ the Pro Power option (so I still get the 131 KW battery, vs only 122 KW in the 2025 & newer Flash) w/ <10K miles, for only $58K or so before taxes & DMV fees. To find such a specific configuration I'll probably have to pay CarMax or Carvana (etc) at least $1,000 or so to ship such a truck to me from Kansas or wherever, but that way I'd get the slightly bigger ext range battery vs a 2025 Flash...plus one or 2 other small "goodies" they previously included in the '24 Flash trim but removed/ made an option in '25, to make the 2025 MSRP more competitive...I forget what those items were. And also save myself $5K - $6K over what I will be faced with under the 1st 3 vehicle scenarios listed above.

3. The ~ $1,500 avg annual extra cost to me of the new EV (as noted above: = $7,500 more over 5 yrs) over my existing Honda is significant, despite the > $700 projected annual fuel savings w/ the EV, & another $390 in est. favorable annual maintenance savings with the new EV, with no oil changes, tune-ups & brake jobs for the next 5 years, unlike my Honda.

At the end of the day, however, those EV related savings amount to only ~ $0.10/ mile combined, & would be DWARFED by the much higher increases in 3 other ownership costs, as a direct result of making the change from my Honda:
- Depreciation (a true cash cost to me at the end of the 60 months, when I sell or trade in whichever vehicle I have then) increases by ~ $0.44/ mile with the new EV;
- Interest costs go up ~ $0.17/ mile by getting a new, and much larger loan (note: I have a 2.9% rate Honda-subsidized car loan today, which will paid off in another 14 months!); and
- Insurance/ DMV regis costs will go up ~ $0.045/ mile with the new EV. Turns out it simply costs more to insure & register a $65,000 value vehicle vs one with a current value of $33K, or only about half the value of the F150L.

Add it all up, including factoring in the F150L's much higher residual resale (equity) value it would have 5 years from now over the Honda (as a partial offset to the higher payments for longer), and "NET-NET", I reckon it will cost me ~ an incremental $7,500 over the next 5 years (or ~ an avg of an extra ~ $125/ month) to own & drive a F150L over that time frame, compared to just keeping my Honda.

I can certainly afford another $125/ month (else I would cancel all my cable TV subscriptions! Heck, just my Starlink Satellite service is $120/mo alone!).

As you can see I'm on a slippery slope here to indulgence...
I'll let you all know what I get, if I take the plunge shortly!

I very recently bought a 2025 Flash, which was manufactured early this year and still has the ER battery. My wife and I were dithering over whether to get the new truck or a 2023 Lariat with all the bells and whistles. In the end we decided: the heat pump on the new model is a big plus; we don't really need a moon roof, which might have future leaks or mechanical issues; we wanted the heated back seats, but thought our adult kids are tough enough without them; we wanted a brand new battery; we decided we could live without folding mirrors.

As for your choice between your Ridgeline and the F150 -- you need to drive the Lightning to see how it feels for you. The F150 probably has a bigger bed -- so you can haul more stuff if you want. If you're interested in towing, maybe neither is the right choice. F150 doesn't have a huge payload and towing range is limited - but these were non-factors for me.

Another consideration you may not have calculated in is the cost of maintenance. I expect a new or newer Lightning will have much lower maintenance costs than an older ICE.

 

[Ted23Lightning]

I very recently bought a 2025 Flash, which was manufactured early this year and still has the ER battery. My wife and I were dithering over whether to get the new truck or a 2023 Lariat with all the bells and whistles. In the end we decided: the heat pump on the new model is a big plus; we don't really need a moon roof, which might have future leaks or mechanical issues; we wanted the heated back seats, but thought our adult kids are tough enough without them; we wanted a brand new battery; we decided we could live without folding mirrors.

As for your choice between your Ridgeline and the F150 -- you need to drive the Lightning to see how it feels for you. The F150 probably has a bigger bed -- so you can haul more stuff if you want. If you're interested in towing, maybe neither is the right choice. F150 doesn't have a huge payload and towing range is limited - but these were non-factors for me.

Another consideration you may not have calculated in is the cost of maintenance. I expect a new or newer Lightning will have much lower maintenance costs than an older ICE.

Congrats!

 

[allen.s]

Took delivery this evening. Old Model Y on the left. Excited to join the club. Brand New '25 Lariat.

 

[CD4TNF]

Took delivery this evening. Old Model Y on the left. Excited to join the club. Brand New '25 Lariat.

Congrats! Welcome aboard. Any big plans for the truck?

 

[allen.s]

Congrats! Welcome aboard. Any big plans for the truck?

Will probably drive it as is for the next few weeks to get a hang of it and figure out what/if it needs anything.

The dealership did a crap job on the pre delivery detail and it has a few smudges from glue or tape so I need to get it washed right and then probably ceramic coat and window tints. Will need to figure out a bed cover solution, need to think on options.

I have been pondering a truck for a while, test drove the likes of Ford ICE and hybrids, but none had great road manners until I test drove the lightning and fell in love with it. In a previous life I used to drive a chevy Tahoe on a lift with 35"'s - that would probably obliterate the range of the lightning, so until I figure out it needs a suspension update I'll probably keep it stock.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Howdy, all. I've been lurking for a while. I bought a CPO 23 Lariat ER last week, and am plotting a very few initial upgrades (probably start with RC power boards and some Toyo tires on OEM rims), bc I have to attempt to pretend that budgets are a thing with my “work truck”. Thank you all in advance for entertaining questions.

 

[abcut973]

Will probably drive it as is for the next few weeks to get a hang of it and figure out what/if it needs anything.

The dealership did a crap job on the pre delivery detail and it has a few smudges from glue or tape so I need to get it washed right and then probably ceramic coat and window tints. Will need to figure out a bed cover solution, need to think on options.

I have been pondering a truck for a while, test drove the likes of Ford ICE and hybrids, but none had great road manners until I test drove the lightning and fell in love with it. In a previous life I used to drive a chevy Tahoe on a lift with 35"'s - that would probably obliterate the range of the lightning, so until I figure out it needs a suspension update I'll probably keep it stock.

35"'s for the win!!lol
Congrats on the new ride ??

 

[Coffee4matt]

Nice lariat - Congrats !!
What color is that?

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Antimatter Blue Metallic, apparently @Coffee4matt It looks dark blue in the day and black at night.

 

[Coffee4matt]

I very recently bought a 2025 Flash, which was manufactured early this year and still has the ER battery. My wife and I were dithering over whether to get the new truck or a 2023 Lariat with all the bells and whistles. In the end we decided: the heat pump on the new model is a big plus; we don't really need a moon roof, which might have future leaks or mechanical issues; we wanted the heated back seats, but thought our adult kids are tough enough without them; we wanted a brand new battery; we decided we could live without folding mirrors.

As for your choice between your Ridgeline and the F150 -- you need to drive the Lightning to see how it feels for you. The F150 probably has a bigger bed -- so you can haul more stuff if you want. If you're interested in towing, maybe neither is the right choice. F150 doesn't have a huge payload and towing range is limited - but these were non-factors for me.

Another consideration you may not have calculated in is the cost of maintenance. I expect a new or newer Lightning will have much lower maintenance costs than an older ICE.

I pulled the trigger myself just last week, & also bought a 2025 Flash, in Antimatter Blue ! I love this color!

I wish I could have found one w/ the full 131 KW ER battery, like you did, but alas, all I could find locally were the later 123 KW versions :>(

No regrets at all trading in my Ridgeline, though it was a really great (midsize) truck.
Pleasantly surprised by the great deal I was able to get financially on the new F-150 Lightning, even before considering the subsidized 2.9% financing from Ford. I love the new truck so far, and expect my appreciation to only increase further over time...

Farewell Ridgeline, old friend.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I had a Ridgeline in the past...drove it to about 200K miles and it was a champ. But, I've had 2 ICE F150's before, so I'm partial to bigger.

Nice work on getting your deal!

I had a BMW X5 hybrid in the past, so the notion of batteries is not all new. Depending on it on road trips is, however. Will test that on Thursday!

So, the interesting thing (unfortunate?) is the depreciation was crazy on this one...it stickered for $88K and I bought it CPO for $50K. Even if I only drove it 2 more years (expiring the CPO), it seemed a fairly low risk trial. I missed on a red one with power boards, but I like this one fine. As I mentioned above, I'm likely only going to lightly mod this one (boards and tires) and then drive the heck out of it for at least 2 years.

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